Are monsters always scary?
by Bugsie Bunny
Summary: Scarlet Letta, a former scientist with a green problem is found by Bruce Banner in a cafe, something about Scarlet doesn't seem right to the doctor and looks like he was right, she has a BIG and DEADLY problem.
1. Scarlet

DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything Marvel. I only own Scarlet Letta (this is not like she-hulk)

 **Bruce's POV**

I strutted calmly into the closest-to-the-tower coffee shop, in hope of my usual non-caffeine order. There were two people in front of me so I decided to take in the peacefulness of this place. It wasn't too popular or crowded but at the same time, not empty. My eyes eventually landed on a tall woman, brown hair and fidgeting in her place, one hand around her cup and the other in her lap. She was tapping her fingers around the coffee cup and biting her lip. She had her hood up although it was sunny outside and kept darting her eyes, most likely avoiding direct eye contact. Why I know this? I've done it. I would have observed more if the two people in front of me hadn't already ordered. I stepped forward, taking my usual but my eyes were tracked on the girl, she momentarily caught me gazing and looked away at the same time I did. Something about this girl was strange, I grasped my hot coffee cup and paid before taking a deep breath and striding over to her table.

"Um, excuse me?" I asked, she had previously had her eyes tracked out the window so almost jumped when I spoke but looked back at me.

"Y-yeah?" She asked, stuttering, she was nervous, _but about what?_

"Do you mind if I sit here? I wondered if you might want company?" I asked as politely as I could, as to out freak her out. She hesitated before nodding, not speaking. I slid into the other side of the red leather seated booth and set down my coffee cup. Her other hand had now switched from her lap and onto the table, drumming away and she twitched ever so often, eyes looking anywhere but me.

 **Scarlet's POV**

 _Don't freak out, just be calm. He's just trying to be friendly._ Was all I thought to myself. I was as nervous as hell being in here, at least it wasn't too crowded. I stared out of the window as I bit my lip, absent mindedly tapping and twitching which I hope this man didn't notice.

"So, what's your name?" He asked, taking a sip of his coffee, I could smell no caffeine in the drink. _God damn senses._

"S-Scarlet." I answered shakily before taking a breath and meeting his eyes. I may have looked a little too long because I swear I saw something. Something like, another person, I shook my head and looked down at the coffee cup I had neglected so long it was cold. "How about you?" I asked, luckily no stuttering that time.

"Bruce." He answered, I smiled softly at my cup. His voice was smooth and oddly calming, so much I stopped twitching for a few seconds but proceeded. "What are you doing here with no one else? I don't mean to pry." e said, I chuckled, shaking my head.

"I p-prefer to be away from c-crowds. T-they make me n-n-nervous." I stated, I was stiffening up again.

"I know exactly what you mean." He said, placing both hands around his cup and leaning his elbows on the table although leaning back in his seat.

"I _really_ don't think you do." I replied, _this guy wouldn't understand._

"You'd be surprised." He responded, sipping from his cup. I could hear it was almost empty.

"I have b-been t-t-through a l-lot of stuff, I d-don't think anything could surprise me at t-this point." I stuttered back, pulling my hands off the cold cup and into my lap.

"Do you naturally stammer?" He asked, I looked back to his eyes with a slight shock.

"W-what?" I asked back, gulping a little.

"Do you naturally stammer, or is it a nervous thing?"

"Its not natural, and I d-don't g-get nervous." I said, picking up my cup and slipping the strap of my bag over my shoulder.

"Don't worry, I'm a doctor." He said, trying to sound calm, I didn't like this.

"Last time someone said something like that to me it didn't end well." I said, no stutters or stammers. I quickly glanced a one-second glance to my hands, I saw the familiar shade start to take over so I shook my hand, trying to get it to go away. _I didn't need this now._

"I'm trying to help you." He said, reaching over and I slid out of the booth with a step back.

"Don't touch me." I warned with a snap before turning and dumping my cup in the bin and when I twisted back my hands were starting to turn again, the guy had stood out of his seat and I pushed past him when he reached for me again. I sped out of the café, pulling my jacket further up my neck and shoving my hands quickly into my pockets. I walked away, _I didn't want THIS to happen again._

 **Bruce's POV**

She had panicked and ran out the door. She reminded me of myself, she didn't like me reaching for her, she didn't like physical contact. here was something strange about Scarlet, and I was definitely intending to find out WHAT.


	2. Ivy

I got onto the street, hood pulled over my head and hands in my pockets. _I hate green._ I tried to walk where there were less people and I would probably calm down, at least that guy wasn't following me.

3 days later: Bruce's POV

"Tony." I said as soon as I walked into the lab, making a reaction come out of the genius, scaring him so his screwdriver went flying out of his hand and onto the floor behind him.

"Banner. I haven't seen you for a while, at least down in the lab. What's up? Feeling angry?"

"What? No. I need to ask a favour." I replied, Tony stood up off his chair and retrieved the screwdriver from behind him.

"You've never said that before, what can I do that you cant?" He asked back, I smiled a little at that comment.

"I need you to do a search, find this woman." I said, holding out a photo taken from the cafe's camera footage, _long story of how I got it._

"I never took you to be the stalker type, Banner." Tony replied, looking at the photo. "She's cute." He added.

"She's different." I corrected, he looked back at me funnily. "When I went for my coffee round 3 days ago, I met her in there, she was sitting alone at a table, hood up, fidgeting and biting her lip, almost like-" I was cut off.

"You?" Tony interrupted, I gave an irritated nod.

"It might be nothing, but I swear saw something on her hands, something...I can only describe as unnatural." I stated, Tony nodded and turned back to his workplace.

"Hey Banner, what do you think of this?" He asked, I rolled my eyes and got to work on helping him out.

4 days later

I strutted into the lab with two coffee's in my hand before Tony yelled out.

"Banner!" He yelled, almost making me drop both drinks as I jumped at the sudden yell throughout the previously silence tower. "I got something on your girl situation." He said as I walked over, handing him his coffee and he pulled up a camera footage. "Cant run a face trace for her background yet but she lives on the Bronx downtown, apartment-C on the second floor." He informed me, I watched the current footage of her entering her apartment. "So now what will you do?" He added, sipping from his cup.

"I need to see her, something about her, it feels...strange." I stated before starting to pack up and head out.

Scarlet's POV

I was sat on the rocking chair of my apartment, overlooking the city from my high window with a cup of coffee in my hand, not as good as the coffee shops obviously but I didn't feel like going out today. My hands in my lap, both wrapped tightly around the American flag patterned mug, careful not to spill as I gently swayed backwards and forth on the spruce wood chair, entirely at peace. That is until a knock interrupted the silence -save for the small squeaks of the chair and floorboards- that dawned in the apartment. I cautiously stood up, believing I should ignore it, I wasn't expecting anyone. Then again, they may not go away. The small and noticeably timid knock sounded again, echoing through the hallowed room. I crept towards the door, boots making the slightest dull thud sound as they touched the ground. I was just at the door, no peephole, I warily turned the doorknob and cracked the door open the slightest, the lights from the hallway lighting a strip of white onto my face and clothing, I saw the same man from a few days ago in the café standing there, purple button up shirt, brown pants and black shoes, black curled hair and glasses.

"Hi." He said, head vaguely inclined, sort of a pacifying motion and a pen in his hand, _presumably something to fiddle with. I would know._

"Erm, hi?" I said, opening the door slightly more so it was about 20cm open, not enough to see my full face but enough to recognise basic expressions.

"Sorry, to come here like this, but, I need to talk to you." He said before looking both ways on the hallway. "In private." He added, I stared a moment longer, trying to identify any sort of weapon or harmful objects on his person but nothing came up. I slowly but surely opened the door further, to the eventual point of it was wide enough to let him in. I gave him a small gesture and he did so, walking in a bit bashful. I closed the door unhurriedly and turned on the big light, I usually preferred low settings on lights but some find it hurts on the eyes. I was able to see him a little more clearly then in the hallway, his features more distinctive since his head was now fully up and he avoided eye contact but kept his eyes near my face. We stood in silence for a few moments and I crossed my arms, hoping he would speak first, after way over ten seconds passed, I breathed in and spoke.

Y-You know, the reason m-most people that s-show up at my d-door is because they don't li-li-like me, mind telling me w-w-why your h-here?" I stuttered although I tried to hold them back. His mouth moved to the side a little, kind of awkwardly as I saw the cogs move in his head, trying to think of a reason and explain it well.

"The day at the café." He stared, _oh jeez, can that just be left ALONE?._ "You seemed slightly on edge, I was just concerned about the way you left." He started, I had a guilty expression slowly taking over my face, I could tell. "You said you didn't stammer naturally so that brought up a strange point, you looked like you wanted to avoid attention but you didn't stammer when you were kind of threatening me."

"Uh, y-yeah, s-s-sorry ab-about that." I said, pinching the bridge of my nose.

"I only want to help, as I have said before, I am a doctor." He insisted.

"As am I and I know what I'm doing." I said, no stutters, stammers or pauses and that was suspicious enough.

"A doctor in what?" He asked, I started looking around the room, _get me outta here!_

"Ph-Physics, psy-psychological s-studies and I've had my f-fair share o-of che-chem-chemical stu-studies." I said, not meeting his eyes for the entire sentence. "Y-your making m-me feel str-strange, p-please leave m-me alone." I said, ushering him towards the door.

"Why?"

"You feel o-odd to m-me, l-like there's so-someth-thing else I-in there." I said, gesturing to his body. "I-its freaking me out!" I said, breathing quickening and heart beating faster, I felt myself growing stronger. _Not here, Ivy! Not now!_

"Miss, I need you to stay calm-"

"Stay calm?! All I have ever done it try and stay calm! GET OUT!" I full on screamed, picking up my mug and throwing it, it smashed on the wall behind him thanks to his reflexes and he ducked. I backed up to the counter, my hands returning to their former shade. "No!" I said, my hands battling their colours. "Now look what you've done!" I yelled as he was watching, wide eyes in shock. "GET OUT OF MY APARTMENT RIGHT NOW BEFORE I KILL YOU!" was my final scream at him, he darted out, leaving the door open and I couldn't hold it any longer, my hands turned their full shade of green, the colour crawling up my arms. I escaped to the bathroom, locking the door and embracing the transformation, I looked in the mirror as I grew taller and more muscly, ivy vines wrapped around my arms and my fingertips went a bluish/green, distinct from the rest of the green now covering my body, my clothes proving too small and bursting off, a dress of leaves coming out to cover me as the rest of my body continued its change. My hair grew longer, a lotus flower behind my ear and my hair in dark red streaks. _This hasn't happened in 6 years. Now I have to calm myself down and wait it out. Now I cant stay here, he saw me changing, granted not the full thing 'Ivy' as I fittingly named it. Now I have to move again. But I had to deal with THIS first._


	3. Departure

Bruce's POV

I ran straight out of the apartment, knowing I had overstepped the line. I ran straight out of the building and onto the street.

 _I saw green on her hands, what was going on?_

Suddenly, a call on my phone interrupted my train of thought, I pulled it out of my pocket to see Tony's face pop up onscreen. I pressed the answer button and pressed it to my ear.

"Bruce! I saw you run from the apartment, everything alright?" He asked, he sounded slightly concerned but more curious.

"I was right about there being something about her, but I think I overstayed my welcome...and any chance of finding out WHAT it is about her." I said, sighing and leaning back on the brick wall behind. "I cant believe I'm saying this but Stark, what should I do with this girl?" I asked, immediately hating myself as the words slipped from my mouth.

"YOUR asking for advise in girls from ME?" He asked in disbelief but I could hear humour in his tone.

"I'm afraid of leaving this alone, she was being strange." I responded.

"You sure your not just being paranoid? You do have a tendency to do that." Tony replied.

"Run a face trace, this isn't going to be something I can pass up, she's strange." I answered, pushing myself off the wall and talking to Tony for the rest of the walk back to where I called a cab.

Scarlet's POV

I was in the bathroom for an hour until Ivy started to go away, I started shrinking down and my skin decided to turn back to its original colour, the ivy vines disappeared and my hair lost its streaks. I breathed out a relaxed breath, leaning back on the wood, locked bathroom door, running one hand through my hair. Then realisation dawned on me.

 _I cant stay here now, that doctor knows where I live, and surely he must have seen at least a little of what I truly look like. He might tell someone important and they will send people to hunt me down. I cant do that, not again._

I unlocked the bathroom door, poking my head out, double checking he had gone and not returned, I fully opened the door when I decided he had done. headed to my bedroom, pulling out a suitcase and beginning to pack everything, I couldn't believe it.

5 accidents in 5 different cities in the past year, I cant believe I have to move, AGAIN, and all because I just cant seem to keep a lid on things.

I continued to pack furiously as I thought alone to myself.

 _Boston, D.C, San Francisco, Los Angeles and now New York. Cant I do ANYTHING right?_

I riffled through my drawers, picking out key items and things I couldn't live without.

 _I just couldn't keep it in, could I? I just had to blow my only chance at keeping undercover and actually managing to stay that way for more than 2 months. Guess I have an even weaker tolerance level than I presumed. But if I have any chance of escaping this place before someone else wanders into my situation, I have to leave NOW._

I slammed my suitcase shut and padlocked it, the padlock was high tech so not even the best thief could crack it. I set the suitcase on the floor before going around the apartment to check nothing else was strayed that I needed desperately or anything that showed where I planned to go. I picked up a few random things before putting them in a small hand luggage bag and setting out of the apartment, giving my key to the landlady I knew as Bersi and leaving the place, calling a cab and heading for New York airport.

Bruce's POV

I got back to the Tower soon, walking into the elevator and pressing the top button, all I could think about was what just happened in that apartment.

 _What did I do? Why did she react like that?_

The elevator opened and I was on Tony's labs floor and slowly stepped into it, hands in my pockets, clearly distracted.

"I saw you running from the lady's apartment, you get stage fright?" Tony teased, I trudged past him.

"More like she did." I mumbled, slumping on a chair in the corner, near Tony's desk.

"I managed to dig up some interesting information on her, if your interest-" I cut Tony off.

"Show me." I pushed forward to where he was sat.

"Eager beaver." Tony teased again.

"Tony." I said with a warning growl.

"Alright, her name is Scarlet, you already know that, I couldn't find anything else on her name but she does show to have a doctorate in radioactivity and Botany, meaning plants." Tony explained.

"I know what it means." I muttered to him like he thought I was stupid.

"Alright, grumpy pants." He called back, scrolling through some data on screen.

"Not grumpy, concerned." I shot back before he pulled up images of a doctorate with an unreadable signature.

"I'm still currently running a face trace, trying to pick up anything else. Whoever this girl is she is doing a pretty good job of erasing herself. I mean, the doctorate was hard enough to uncover without my tech genius and brains." Tony boasted.

"Tony, not in the mood." I grumbled as I spun away. About two minutes later something beeped on Tony's screen. "You got something."

"Yep." He beamed as I turned but his smile suddenly dropped. "Uh oh." He added, scrolling through a screen.

"What?2 I asked, stepping closer.

"How important is it you find this girl?" He asked.

"Extremely." I answered.

"Then you had better et to New York Airport because your girl has booked a one way ticket to England Brucie." Tony warned.

"Time of departure?"

"1 hour."

"It takes at least an hour to get there in a cab."

"Don't worry, already on it." Tony said, typing quickly over his holographic keyboard.

"What are you doing?" I asked in a curious and concerned tone.

"Your friend is about to meet two of ours." Tony smirked and I realised what he meant as I viewed the screen with two SHIELD agent profiles onscreen.

 _She's not getting past those two._


	4. Airports

Scarlet's POV

I slipped out of the cab and stepped into the large airport, busy as ever, even at this time of year, it was around the autumn time now. I placed my phone back in my hand luggage bag, thank goodness for tickets being able to be booked online, my flight left in 1 hour, just enough time to check in and grab something to eat then get out of here as fast as possible.

I waited in the line, kind of fidgeting because of the amount of the crowds and keeping thinking people were following me but I soon checked in, letting them taking my main luggage bag on the conveyor belt and my passport getting checked. I passed through customs with no problems except getting asked if I had taken drugs because of my nervous state, I usually get that way around people. I passed through, now in a quieter coffee shop and waiting. I had got changed in the bathroom there since my clothes were a bit stretched out. There was only 1 hour till the flight was ready. My leg bounced as I looked around, I could have sworn a couple, _presumably_ , were following me but then that might just be getting slightly too paranoid. They were sitting in a booth a few down from me and I could see a mirror in the woman's hand, I could see her eyes meet mine for a single seconds through the glass and I knew there would be trouble. The woman was maybe about 24-25, red curly hair, black shirt with a brown coat and combat boots, the man across from her had caught me looking and I looked back at my coffee cup, pretending I wasn't looking. The man had short brown hair, light. A dark grey shirt with jeans. _Ok, don't panic, just need to stay calm and focused you have about 25 minutes until your out of here, stop being so paranoid. Oh god, the mans coming over, ok just breathe, your gonna be fine._

"Hey, this seat taken?" He asked, coffee cup in hand and gesturing to the seat across. I shrugged at him and he slid into the booth, my eyes flicked to where the woman was sat and... _huh, she was no longer there._ "So why you all alone? Boyfriend dump you?" He asked, I smiled gently, shaking my head. "Good, because he would be an idiot to." He complimented.

"D-d-don't you have s-s-someone a-a-already ov-ver there?" I asked, nodding towards the table where he was previously sat.

"You saw me? I was just flirting, she didn't seem interested." He shrugged it off, I could feel his heart beat quicken, he started to lie. _Damn senses._

"She seemed pretty interested to me." I muttered under my breath, he didn't hear me.

"So where you headed?" He asked, he was being weird and I could feel something strange.

"Wales." I lied, I then felt him change his gaze, he knew I was lying. "Where are you going? Or coming from?" I added.

"New York city." He answered. "So should you, Scarlet." He added, a small look telling me I should listen, I instantly pulled both hands from my coffee cup and into my lap, encouraging myself to not have more than one incident in one day.

"I'm n-not gon-na b-b-bother a-asking how you k-know my n-name, but I h-have a flight in 20 mi-minutes so I n-need to g-g-go." I stuttered, slipping out of the both but he grasped my wrist. I snatched it back. "Don't touch me or I'll have you done for assault!" I half yelled, slipping my bag strap over my shoulder, luckily, anyone in the café was too busy to notice my outburst.

"Vulgar but fluent, you don't stammer when your angry." He pointed out, I growled.

"Shut up." I snapped, turning away only to be faced with the red head about two metres away. "Y-your girlfriends in o-on this too?" I asked, staring into her hard blue ice eyes.

"Who exactly do you think we are?" The woman asked, American accent with a hint of Russian, crossing her arms over her chest.

"A-anyone t-t-that knows a-about me is in-in a dang-danger-dangerous business." I replied, fiddling with the sleeve of my jacket with my fingers.

"I think you should just follow us." The man said, moving behind the woman.

"And-and if I s-s-say no?" I replied, shakily, looking around as bit the inside of my lip, trying to see if anyone was watching.

"I don't think you want to make a display." The woman advised, I grumbled softly, she was right, and I followed them both out, not exactly in my own free will but they were right, I didn't want a display. We got outside where the woman grabbed a bag from an airport worker...my suitcase.

"Hey, that's-" I was interrupted when a cab pulled up in front of us, the woman walked round and threw my suitcase in the trunk before the guy gestured for me to step in the car, I stepped back, _more like jumped back_ , and the guy sighed, not dramatized but long enough to show annoyance.

"Come on." He said, ushering me towards the car.

"Why? W-why should I tru-trust you-you-you people? Who-who's to say th-that you ar-aren't like ever-everyo-one else?" I stuttered out again, they both looked at each other then back to me.

"Because we're asking, not forcing." The man answered, that made me think, _technically I was getting forced because this wasn't a decision of free will but he had a point._

"I d-don't trust y-you guys." I mumbled, crossing my arms and leaning more on one leg.

"You don't have to, just come with us." The red head said, opening the passenger seat of the cab and stepping in.

"You can walk out at any point, just say the word and we will go away." The guy said, to be honest, all I wanted was to get back to my flight and get out of here but they already had my suitcase in the cab. After a few seconds and a slight worried look from the guy, I nodded and stepped into the back of the car, I tugged on my seatbelt as he slid into the seat next to me and shut the door with a loud bang that made me jump in my seat slightly, he pulled on his seatbelt and the car started.

"You alright?" He asked, noticing my jump at the loud noise.

"People make me nervous." I replied, no stutters or pauses and no one said anything for the rest of the journey.


End file.
